Finis for Tweed and Steffens: Rewriting the History of Urban Rule

Abstract

Since mid-nineteenth century urban government has suffered dubious distinction of ranking among major problem areas in American life. As early as 1840s New York City newspaper described board of aldermen as a miscellaneous body, who are half bewildered by superintendence of these vast institutions of vast population.1 During 1850s exploits of those bribed aldermen known as Forty Thieves and audacity of Mayor Femando Wood further tarnished image of municipal rule. The peculations of Boss Tweed brought new opprobrium during late 1860s and early 1870s, and throughout last two decades of century scandals in other municipalities added to earlier testimony of corruption and supposed incompetence. In late 1880s distinguished British observer James Bryce could daim that the government of cities is one most conspicuous failure of United States.2 Conscientious middle class citizens throughout land nodded their assent to Bryce's words, and failure of American urban rule became an axiomatic truth in minds of many. College texts in American govemment conveyed Bryce's views to new generations of educated citizens, and muckraking exposes by Lincoln Steffens and his fellow journalists lambasted urban rule as shame of cities. Meanwhile, among academic professionals in nascent field of political science problems and shortcomings of city government became favorite topic of investigation and thought. These academics, together with reformminded amateurs, industriously penned scores of articles and monographs on municipal structure, urging efficiency, professionalism, centralization, civil service, short ballot, commission plan, city manager plan, and variety of other panaceas for curing those ills which wracked urban government. Occasionally during early twentieth century an optimist such as Charles Zueblin wrote on municipal progress and achievements of revitalized and reformed city administrations.3 But behavior of Chicago's notorious Mayor Big Bill Thompson in 1920s and investigations into corrupt administration of New York City's Mayor Jimmy Walker in early 1930s deflated any high hopes that might have earlier lifted spirits of